2) Conversion box which takes your analog signal from the camera and converts it to AVI and transfers it via firewire to the computer where you encode it to MPEG2 and add menus ect... via software.

3) Conversion box which takes the analog signal and converts it to MPEG2 and transfers via firewire or USB2. Then you add menus and author via software.

4) PCI capture card - don't know much about these but they act a lot like the conversion box but you don't usually need firewire or USB to transfer them.

I'm currently playing with an inexpensive TDK Indicapture box ($50) which converts from my 8mm video analog to MPEG2. My computer is a PIII 800MHz so I'm limited in quality and the software is mediocre (showbiz). I'm playing with some other software trial versions but have not discovered the right combination yet.

There's some good info in the forum do some search and a lot of reading.

Hi bob 14, What ochssk says is correct about stand alone DVD recorders they work OK but obviously don't give you the same amount of control over editing and menu building as an editing program on your PC, just depends on what you want to do?

A popular capture card for PC's is the Winfast 2000XP Deluxe, around £35-£40, captures analog signal (Hi 8 and VHS video) to your h/drive and then with a editing program you can mess with it all you like.